Botanical/commercial classification: Verbena peruviana/Verbena Plant.
Varietal denomination: cv. xe2x80x98Sunvivarexe2x80x99.
The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of Verbena plant obtained as a mutation of Verbena peruviana variety xe2x80x98Sunvivaroxe2x80x99 (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 13,724, filed Nov. 16, 2001).
The Verbena is a very popular plant and is used for flower bedding and potting in the summer season. There are only a few varieties of the Verbena plant which have abundant branching, many deep red flowers in a spike, a long flowering duration, and a high resistance to cold, rain, diseases and pests. Accordingly, this invention is aimed at obtaining a new variety having much branching, many flowers in a spike, a long flowering duration, a high resistance to cold, rain, diseases and pests, and moderate resistance to heat.
The new variety was discovered as a spontaneous branch mutation in August 1998 while growing in a field in Germany. The mutant Verbena plant was propagated by the use of cuttings and was grown in trials beginning in May 1999 in the Yamanashi and Shiga prefectures of Japan. The botanical characteristics of the plant were examined, using a similar xe2x80x98Sunvivaroxe2x80x99 variety and the xe2x80x98Sunvivapaxe2x80x99 variety (U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 09/987,811, filed Nov. 16, 2001) for comparison. As a result, it was concluded that this Verbena plant is distinguishable from other varieties whose existence is known to us. The new variety of the present invention has been named xe2x80x98Sunvivarexe2x80x99.
In the following description, the color-coding is in accordance with The R.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society, London, England. The Japan Color Standard for Horticultural Plant (J.H.S. Color Chart) is also added for reference.
The main botanical characteristics of the parent xe2x80x98Sunvivaroxe2x80x99 variety are as follows:
Plant:
Growth habit.xe2x80x94Erect.
Width.xe2x80x94Medium.
Height.xe2x80x94Medium to high.
Stem:
Diameter.xe2x80x94Medium (approximately 1.4-3.0 mm).
Anthocyanin pigmentation.xe2x80x94Absent.
Pubescence.xe2x80x94Medium.
Prickles.xe2x80x94Absent.
Branching.xe2x80x94Medium.
Subterranean stem.xe2x80x94Absent.
Length of internode.xe2x80x94Short (approximately 1.0-1.8 cm).
Leaf:
Phyllotaxis.xe2x80x94Opposite.
Shape of blade.xe2x80x94Hastate.
Blade incision.xe2x80x94Present.
Depth of blade incision.xe2x80x94Shallow.
Blade crenation of margin.xe2x80x94Serrate.
Length.xe2x80x94Medium (approximately 3.8 cm).
Width.xe2x80x94Medium (approximately 2.5 cm).
Color.xe2x80x94Grayish olive green (R.H.S. Colour Chart No. 137A, J.H.S. Color Chart No. 3716).
Pubescence.xe2x80x94Sparse.
Petiole.xe2x80x94Present.
Diameter of petiole.xe2x80x94Medium (approximately 1.8 mm).
Length of petiole.xe2x80x94Short (approximately 2.6 mm).
Flower:
Shape of cluster.xe2x80x94Funnel-shaped.
Length of cluster.xe2x80x94Medium (approximately 31 mm).
Diameter of cluster.xe2x80x94Medium to large (approximately 45-54 mm).
Facing direction.xe2x80x94Upward.
Outward curvature of petal.xe2x80x94Slightly curved.
Diameter.xe2x80x94Large (approximately 1.8-2.2 cm).
Length.xe2x80x94Medium.
Color.xe2x80x94Vivid purplish red (R.H.S. Colour Chart No. 66A, J.H.S. Color Chart No. 9707).
Eye color.xe2x80x94Absent.
Variegation on petals.xe2x80x94Absent.
Color intensity.xe2x80x94Substantially even.
Incision of petal.xe2x80x94Present.
Number of petals.xe2x80x94Medium 4.
Incision of calyx.xe2x80x94Present.
Length of calyx.xe2x80x94Long (approximately 1.2 mm).
Anthocyanin pigmentation of calyx limb.xe2x80x94Absent.
Shape of pistil.xe2x80x94Two lobes.
Number of stamens.xe2x80x94Medium.
Color of anther.xe2x80x94Yellowish green.
Diameter of peduncle.xe2x80x94Thin (approximately 1.2 mm).
Length of peduncle.xe2x80x94Long (approximately 1.3 cm).
Number of flowers.xe2x80x94Many.
Reproductive organs.xe2x80x941 pistil and 4 stamens.
Flower fragrance.xe2x80x94Absent.
Flowering time.xe2x80x94Medium.
Flowering duration.xe2x80x94Long.
Physiological and ecological characteristics: High resistance to diseases and pests, particularly powdery mildew. High tolerance to cold and rain. Moderate tolerance to heat.
xe2x80x83The main botanical characteristics of xe2x80x98Sunvivapaxe2x80x99 variety are as follows:
Plant:
Growth habit.xe2x80x94Erect.
Plant width.xe2x80x94Medium (approximately 60 cm).
Plant height.xe2x80x94High (approximately 40-50 cm).
Stem:
Diameter.xe2x80x94Medium (approximately 2-3 mm).
Anthocyanin pigmentation.xe2x80x94Present.
Pubescence.xe2x80x94Dense.
Prickles.xe2x80x94Absent.
Branching.xe2x80x94Abundant.
Subterranean stem.xe2x80x94Absent.
Length of internode.xe2x80x94Medium (approximately 4-5 cm).
Leaf:
Phyllotaxis.xe2x80x94Opposite.
Shape of blade.xe2x80x94Hastate.
Blade incision.xe2x80x94Present.
Depth of blade incision.xe2x80x94Shallow.
Crenation of blade margin.xe2x80x94Crenated.
Length.xe2x80x94Medium (approximately 4-5 cm).
Width.xe2x80x94Medium (approximately 3 cm).
Color.xe2x80x94Medium olive green (R.H.S. Colour Chart No. 146A, J.H.S. Color Chart No. 3509).
Pubescence.xe2x80x94Medium.
Petiole.xe2x80x94Present.
Petiole diameter.xe2x80x94Medium (approximately 1.5 mm).
Petiole length.xe2x80x94Medium (approximately 5.0 mm).
Flower:
Shape of cluster.xe2x80x94Funnel-shaped.
Cluster length.xe2x80x94Medium (approximately 3 cm).
Cluster diameter.xe2x80x94Large (approximately 4-5 cm).
Facing direction.xe2x80x94Upward.
Outward curvature of petal.xe2x80x94Slightly curved.
Diameter.xe2x80x94Large (approximately 20-30 mm).
Length.xe2x80x94Medium (approximately 1.5 cm).
Color of petal.xe2x80x94Vivid reddish purple (R.H.S. Colour Chart No. 78A, J.H.S. Color Chart No. 8907).
Eye color.xe2x80x94Absent.
Variegation.xe2x80x94Absent.
Incision of petal.xe2x80x94Present.
Number of petals.xe2x80x94Medium 5.
Calyx incision.xe2x80x94Present.
Calyx length.xe2x80x94Medium (approximately 1.3 cm).
Anthocyanin pigmentation of calyx limb.xe2x80x94Present.
Shape of pistil.xe2x80x94Two lobes.
Number of stamens.xe2x80x94Medium.
Color of anther.xe2x80x94Yellowish green.
Peduncle diameter.xe2x80x94Medium (approximately 2.0 cm).
Peduncle length.xe2x80x94Medium (approximately 2.0 cm).
Number of flowers.xe2x80x94Medium.
Reproductive organs.xe2x80x941 pistil and 4 stamens.
Flower fragrance.xe2x80x94Absent.
Flowering time.xe2x80x94Late.
Flowering duration.xe2x80x94Long.
Physiological and ecological characteristics:
Tolerance to cold.xe2x80x94High.
Tolerance to heat.xe2x80x94High.
Resistance to diseases.xe2x80x94High.
Resistance to pests.xe2x80x94High.
This new variety of Verbena plant xe2x80x98Sunvivarexe2x80x99 was asexually reproduced by the use of cuttings at Youkaichi-shi, Shiga-ken, Japan and Kitakoma-gun, Yamanashi-ken, Japan, and the homogeneity and stability thereof were confirmed. The new variety has been found to reproduce true to type in subsequent generations when asexually reproduced.
This new Verbena variety has a semi-erect growth habit and is tall. The plant has much branching and an abundant number of flowers in a spike with a great profusion of blooms. The blooming period is from late April to November, the flowers commonly remain open in the rainy season, and the flowering duration is long. The entire plant remains in bloom for a considerable period of time. The flower size is large and the petal color of the flowers is deep red in the absence of an eye. The plant is highly tolerant to cold, moderately tolerant to heat, and has high resistance to pests and diseases, particularly powdery mildew, and high resistance to rain.
It commonly takes approximately 12 weeks to produce a finished plant of the new variety following the rooting of a cutting.